I Promise
by Pride-Of-Rukongai
Summary: A series of defining promises from our favourite FFVII Characters. Set after Advent Children/Dirge of Cerberus. On indefinite hiatus.
1. Denzel

**Author's Note:**

Alright everyone, I'm new to fan fiction and this is my first story, so be honest (but gentle) with the reviews if you so choose to review. To paraphrase the infamous quote: _"alright everyone, lets mosey!" -Cloud Strife_

**Disclaimer:**

The author (Pride_Of_Rukongai) does not, in any way, shape, or form, own any of the characters, elements, or concepts, in part or full, based on FFVII, FFVII:AC, ON THE WAY TO A SMILE, or any other artistic work based on FINAL FANTASY VII, which is the sole property of SQUARE-ENIX, and is borrowed on the basis of the authors wish to express his own creative opinion based on said artistic works. [i.e.: I don't own SQUAT!]

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_**"I Promise"**_

_...Denzel..._

_"From those to whom much is given, much is expected."_

_-Luke 12:48  
_

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_

"Tifa?," Denzel said as he gently tapped his finger on Tifa's Bedroom door, his unflinching gaze never straying as he waited for a reply.

Nothing.

"Cloud?," Denzel inquired, this time using a little more force on the bedroom door separating him from a special present he had been waiting for all week.

....

Denzel had been ecstatic when he learned that cloud would be delivering a massive ball of yarn to Nanaki in Cosmo Canyon. For what Nanaki would do with said ball of yarn, he did not know. Denzel had never been to Cosmo Canyon before and had begged, pleaded pathetically almost, for Cloud to bring him _"along for the ride"_. Begging, Denzel concluded, was acceptable so long as it was because the road beckoned, which was true, rather than admit that he wanted nothing more than to see the furthest reaches of Gaia atop the highest peak of Cosmo Canyon's observatory, not to mention it's world famous windmills.

Cloud, however, thought otherwise. First of all, Denzel had school and by default had to look after Marlene. Second, he had to be the man of the house and by default needed to help Tifa with any housework. And third, they were all going to take a month long vacation at Cosmo Canyon in a few weeks and by default would be going shortly anyway.

A previous client at Cosmo Canyon was an elderly couple that were now managing the Shildra inn. Business had been slow since Meteor and the two didn't quite have enough Gil to cover the delivery fee. Cloud, selfless as he was, didn't have the heart or audacity to siphon them of their meagre income, so he said he'd let them pay him back next time. But the humble couple would hear none of it, insisting that it was bad luck to incur any debt, be it monetary or otherwise. So they offered Cloud a month's long stay at the inn for him and his immediate family, including guided tours of the canyon, bed, breakfast, and unlimited use of their courtesy chocobos. It was the least they could do for a former member of AVALANCHE. Seeing that they wouldn't take no for an answer, Cloud reluctantly accepted and everyone had been looking forward to the trip ever since. Still, Denzel was dejected Cloud wouldn't let him tag along, settling instead for as many photos as Cloud could humanly obtain of Gaia from the observatory telescope. A simple promise.

So imagine Denzel's shock and surprise to see Fenrir parked in the garage much earlier than normal one afternoon after school, thus heralding Cloud's early return home from deliveries. This was a welcome surprise as Denzel had often stayed up until Cloud would return at some ungodly hour of the night, much to Tifa's dismay. After locking the door upon he and Marlene's entry, he haphazardly flung his backpack over the bar, positive that Marlene would see that it was safe and secure for him. Denzel raced madly around their humble home which was Seventh Heaven, frantically searching for Cloud, leaving a bewildered and more than miffed Marlene in his wake.

Denzel marvelled at his noticeably greater speed, a product of his training with Cloud, to which Tifa vehemently objected the use of swords or bladed weapons. Not wanting to disappoint Denzel, Cloud ingeniously found a way to circumvent Tifa's ban on bladed weapons, by entrusting Denzel with the infamous Nail-Bat, which was surprisingly effective, though he would've much preferred something closer to Hard-Edge. Nail-Bat, though, was decidedly better than the umbrella that he had been using prior to Nail-Bat, which according to Cloud was a lethal weapon in the hands of a true SOLDIER. Yeah right.

After several minutes of searching for Cloud, it was apparent to Denzel that he wasn't on the main floor. Disheartened at Cloud's apparent powers of invisibility, Denzel raced upstairs into Cloud's room, but found nothing but Cloud's sad wreck of a bed, collapsed in on itself at the center as a result of Denzel and Marlene's _"trampoline escapades"_ as Cloud called it. He and Marlene had become very competitive as of late, either because Denzel wanted to show her how strong he had become or because Marlene wanted for them to stay close to each other. The latest outcome was a function of both it seemed. Denzel inwardly winced, half comforted by his belief that it was all Marlene's fault.

'_She was the first one on the bed after all',_ reasoned Denzel.

Searching virtually every room, Denzel deduced that the only place he could be was Tifa's room, which was odd since Tifa usually took a quick nap before she had to open the bar for the evening, which was in about an hour.

_'Doesn't cloud have anything better to do than lock himself up with Tifa in the middle of the afternoon?,' _thought Denzel. _'Doesn't sound like much fun.'_

...

All of which led up to this moment. The moment he had been counting the days and the hours and the minutes to, patiently waiting for his long sought after photos of places he had only dreamt of seeing. Places he had only dreamt of after Tifa and Cloud had tucked him and Marlene into bed at night and told them bedtime stories loosely based on their travels together. Cloud wouldn't forget his promise now would he? Not after he had come back to them, cared for them, and trained him like he said he would, right? No matter what, Denzel thought he had waited long enough and would be damned if he waited another precious minute for a reply from the other side of Tifa's bedroom door.

"In and out," Denzel calmly reassured himself as he built up the courage and resolve to sneak into Tifa's bedroom without her permission to retrieve his prize, which was suicide in any other circumstance.

It was, in theory, no different from all the times he'd sneak into his and Marlene's room while she was napping, quietly borrowing her nail clippers to, well, clip his nails. Borrowing metallic pink nail clippers was not unmanly ... so long as no one knew about it. He had also become proficient at lifting a few cookies fresh off the baking tray while Marlene distracted Tifa. Their Aunt Yuffie sure knew what she was talking about, even if Denzel wasn't completely sold on the _"Nine Steps"_ just yet. He and Marlene really did make a good team ... when they felt like it.

Taking a deep breath, maybe his last if his hand was _"caught in the cookie_" jar so to speak, Denzel deftly twisted the knob open. Tifa didn't believe in _"locked doors"_ inside the house, so long as you knocked first. Which he did, twice in fact. Opening enough of a crack to squeeze himself inside, Denzel carefully surveyed the area. The room was clean as a whistle, with only a pair of black boots and shoes at the foot of Tifa's bed ruining the otherwise pristine environment. The boots, in fact, bore a striking resemblance to the ones Cloud wears.

'_Now why would Cloud leave his boots in Tifa's room?,'_ thought Denzel seeing as how Cloud wasn't standing anywhere in the small bedroom. Just then, Cloud's side bag came into Denzel's field of vision.

Stealthily, Denzel _"ninja'ed"_ his way towards Cloud's side bag. Denzel made sure not to use the term _"ninja'ed" _around Cloud, as he was weary enough of Yuffie _"sneaky little materia whore"_ Kisaragi, who may or may not be lurking around at that very moment. Then again, Cloud believed she was always lurking around, waiting for him to bend over to tie his boot laces before she would pounce. He also believed this was just an excuse for Yuffie to feel him up, seeing as how she was perfectly capable of stealing his materia without having to make much physical contact in the first place.

Denzel was still perturbed. No visible sign of the photos or Cloud. That is until Denzel made it to Cloud's side bag, which hung off of the First Tsurugi's hilt as it rested against Tifa's night stand next to Tifa's leather gloves. Denzel silently rifled through the seemingly endless sea of papers that was cloud's very full side bag. It contained all manner of paper records and documents, pages upon pages of bills and cheques and Aerith knows what else. Finally coming across a manila envelope marked:

"_For Denzel..._

_...c.o. Cosmo Canyon Observatory..._

_...from Cloud."_

Triumphant, Denzel did his best impersonation of Cloud's victory stance he'd seen hundreds of times after Cloud had slain various random attacking monsters. Satisfied with the physical evidence that Cloud had indeed not forgotten his promise, Denzel decided to make for his escape, when he happened upon Tifa's bed, or more precisely, its occupants.

Denzel had finally found a slumbering cloud, curled up to a soundly sleeping Tifa nestled snugly in his arms. Despite both of them being fully clothed, Cloud did look a tad cold as it tended to get on the cool side at this time of year. Tifa hogging most of the blanket also didn't help much in that respect. At first Denzel found it odd for Cloud to be sleeping in Tifa's bed, especially with Tifa still in it. It just didn't seem like something Cloud would do, since he had his own room and all. Not that Denzel thought there was anything wrong with that. They were his guardians after all, that's something guardians do ... right? Besides, they seemed so relaxed, content, and even happy. The light of the slowly setting sun began to filter in through Tifa's bedroom window, making it seem that the sleeping couple was glowing in its radiance.

_"They must have a pair of angels watching over them,"_ thought Denzel, the scene before him serene.

And as he watched, his heart warmed at the ghost of a smile playing on Cloud's face. Not that Denzel would admit that his heart did such things. Real men scowled, and smoked, and drank unnecessary amounts of tea. At least that's what his Uncle Cid says. Well, at least the things he actually understood. Denzel wasn't quite sure what _"~!#$%^&*" _meant. Still, there must be a logical reason Cloud was here. In Tifa's bed. With Tifa.

"Hmmm...," Denzel mused, tilting his head toward the ceiling as he did so. His head sequentially deduced the following:

1) Cloud's bed is broken (not my fault); Cloud needs a bed; Therefore, Cloud is in Tifa's bed.

2) Cloud looks cold (Tifa requires a LOT of blanket); hugging Tifa = very warm; Therefore, hugging Tifa will keep Cloud warm.

3) Cloud finished his delivery early; deliveries are tiring (wouldn't be if I were there); Therefore, Cloud is tired.

"That's it!" Denzel exclaimed, though he quickly covered his mouth with his hand to avoid making any further noise. Cloud stirred ever so slightly, no thanks to his incredible mako-enhanced hearing.

'_So not fair,' _thought Denzel.

When Cloud made no further movements, Denzel's hand lowered itself from his mouth and exhaled a noiseless sigh of relief. He would live to fight another day it would seem. And with that train of thought Denzel pondered just how much he had to give and how far he had to go to be everything he saw in Cloud. His hero.

Don't get him wrong. Denzel very much cherished what he learned that fateful day at Johnny's Heaven when he had met Uncle Reeve, Mrs. Tuesti's son, to try and enlist in the WRO. That everyone, man, woman, and child, could be strong with or without the sword. He knew then that he didn't have to be a soldier to impress his favourite SOLDIER. But there were so many he wanted to repay, so much he wanted to give back.

To his parents and those that had saved his life the day the sector 7 plate came crashing down on his, no, everyone's world

To Mrs. Tuesti, who took him in so he wouldn't be all alone. Who gave her life to save his yet again.

To Tifa, who gave him a chance at living with a family again. For encouraging him to never give up and to protect those he cared about. For believing in him, never doubting him for an instant.

To Marlene, for watching his back the moment he met her, even if they loved to rile each other up here and there. For sticking with him whenever they decided to bend the rules once in a while to sneak a few of Tifa's amazing cookies before dinner. For letting him slack off on his chores here and there, even though she knew he'd do them in a heartbeat if she asked, or threatened, him to. For letting him be a kid again.

To Cloud, who rescued him in his greatest time of need instead of leaving him to bleed. Who taught him that selflessness and compassion was a true soldier's greatest attributes. Who showed him that words aren't the only way to let people know how you feel. For just being there when he needed him. For always keeping his promise.

There were a million things Denzel was thankful for. And a million things he wanted to do to show everyone how much they meant to him. They would have to wait until he was stronger, until there was nothing left his training could teach him, until he was the one people could look up to and be proud of. But that day would come soon enough, Denzel was sure of it. For the time being he decided to take in the majestic sight before him a while longer. Content with his reasoning that cloud was tired, cold, and in need of a bed, Denzel thought it only fair that Cloud and Tifa share her bed. At least until Cloud gets a new one, his well earned reward resting dreamily at his side.

"Way to go Cloud," congratulated Denzel.

Absorbing the peace and tranquillity that was almost tangible filling the room, Denzel gazed gently upon his sleeping hero, clutching his greatest prize tightly, almost afraid to let go. Silently, Denzel made a promise he would not soon forget.

"One day Cloud ..." vowed Denzel.

"... I'm gonna be just like you ..."

As if aware of Denzel's creed, the ghost of a smile playing on Cloud's lips seemed to get the best of him, curling the corners of his mouth upward ever so slightly, if only for a moment.

"... I Promise."


	2. Marlene

**Author's Note:**

Positive reviews and fairly decent visitor traffic has encouraged me to keep going with this story. I hope you guys like it! Like Cloud says, lets mosey!

**Special Thanks:**

To Ritsu-San for giving me my first review ever and for expertly looking over this chapter before its publication. Anyone looking for a good read best check out her material. You won't be disappointed.

**Disclaimer:**

The author (Pride_Of_Rukongai) does not, in any way, shape, or form, own any of the characters, elements, or concepts, in part or full, based on FFVII, FFVII:AC, ON THE WAY TO A SMILE, or any other artistic work based on FINAL FANTASY VII, which is the sole property of SQUARE-ENIX, and is borrowed on the basis of the authors wish to express his own creative opinion based on said artistic works. [i.e.: I don't own SQUAT!]

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"_**I Promise"**_

_...Marlene..._

_"Always care about your flowers and your friends. Otherwise they'll fade, and soon your house will be empty."_

_-English Proverb_

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"Denzel?," Marlene said as she picked up his thoroughly jumbled back-pack, placing it on their study desk just behind the counter as she surveyed the collateral damage caused by _**"**__Hurricane Denzel__**"**__._

Disastrous.

"DENZEL!!!," Marlene barked as she went into damage control, picking up various throw pillows and plush-doll souvenirs Cloud had picked up on his travels. Denzel held a near fascination of said souvenirs and often forgot to replace them in their proper places, leaving poor Marlene to pick up after him.

Really, was it so much to ask that he clean up his own mess? Denzel was always leaving her to fix his problems**:** just look at Cloud's bed for heaven's sake! Sure she jumped on the bed first, but Denzel _sooo_ dared her to, and Marlene was not one to back down from a challenge. Not from Tifa when they had visited Aerith's old church in Sector 5 in search of Cloud. Not from Cloud when he was dilly-dallying at the Forgotten City after being rescued by her Uncle Vincent. And certainly not from Denzel, no matter how risky the challenge. Ever.

Denzel made himself quite useful whenever Cloud or Tifa were around, offering his services for even the most mundane of tasks. It was whenever Marlene was on duty that he chose to slack off a bit, which she admittedly let him do once in a while. But now he crossed the line, leaving her with the remains of Cloud's bed AND a wreck of a bar one only saw after last call, not before happy hour. The nerve of that boy!

Marlene silently cursed Denzel's new found speed. She was having enough trouble keeping up with him before he started training with Cloud on a regular basis. Not to be outdone, Tifa had already started teaching Marlene several battle tested self-defence techniques just in case the need ever arose. However, this did not include full blown combat mechanics or conditioning, and as such, Marlene lacked much of Denzel's heightened physical attributes.

_'Stupid Denzel and his stupid training!'_ cursed Marlene. _'Why doesn't he just take up gardening like me?'_

Despite her less than ecstatic mood, Marlene found that she couldn't blame Denzel for being extra excited when they came home from school and found that Fenrir was in the garage much earlier than normal.

...

Ever since Cloud announced that they would be taking their first vacation as a family to Cosmo Canyon, Marlene found it hard to contain her own enthusiasm. Her daddy had told her all about how AVALANCHE was born in Cosmo Canyon and spoke glowingly of Nanaki's birth place. Cloud and Tifa meanwhile had told her and Denzel many a bedtime story about Cosmo Canyon and had always wanted to go visit it one day, just the four of them. Denzel tried to get a sneak-peek of Cosmo Canyon when he learned Cloud would be delivering a massive ball of yarn to Nanaki.

'_Just what in Gaia does Red do with all that yarn?,' _thought Marlene.

Denzel was bummed out when Cloud had said he couldn't go, despite his rather pathetic attempts at begging. She did find it quite amusing at the time though. She didn't quite buy Denzel's whole _"restless warrior"_ routine, though she didn't entirely doubt it either.

_'Obviously he doesn't have a lady's charm,'_ quipped Marlene.

It turned out that Marlene didn't quite have a lady's charm either, to which she soothed her bruised pride with thoughts that Cloud wouldn't recognize a lady even if she kissed him square on the lips.

_'Isn't that right, Tifa?,'_ Marlene mentally giggled.

Of course Denzel in all his manly density had the audacity to _"deduce"_ that Cloud refused to take her because she wasn't a lady. Marlene's fist deduced that he should shut up, which he did after a well placed upper cut to his solar plexus knocked the wind clean out of him. Cloud did, however, promise to bring back a big bouquet of Cosmo Canyon lilies upon his return, to which Marlene was absolutely overjoyed.

So imagine Marlene's dismay when Denzel began to systematically induce chaos. Taking off like _The Highwind_ on fire, Denzel raced to find his chocobo haired hero. Keeping up to him was like containing the Lifestream itself, anywhere and everywhere one could imagine. Even Denzel's trusty back-pack was not spared his maelstrom's fury as he carelessly flung it over the bar, just missing a bottle of fine wine and a crate of imported beer.

_'Sooo not cool,'_ cringed Marlene.

Marlene swore that the next time she laid hands on him would be at his funeral. Not that she meant it. She loved Denzel dearly, as much as she loved Cloud and Tifa. He was just being one big pain in the butt, as it wasn't long before Seventh Heaven looked like Seventh Hell with the angel Marlene tasked to send it back to whence it came.

...

Once order had been restored, Marlene set her sights to _'KILL'_. Denzel was _sooo_ in for it. But their humble home was quiet now. Too quiet.

_'The calm after the storm,'_ surmised Marlene. _'Perfect.'_

Marlene scoured the main floor and the basement. Denzel was neither in the kitchen, the cellar, the restrooms, or the lounge. Absolutely no trace of him could be found. Knowing that the only place to go was up, Marlene proceeded to climb the stairs to their living quarters.

Marlene took a peek into the office that Cloud and Tifa shared, doubling as the war room for both Seventh Heaven and Strife Delivery Service. Numerous piles of paper convoluted Cloud's side of the office, making it seem like a mountain range of paper cascaded from his desk to the floor. Tifa's half of the office was organized neatly with the use of several filing cabinets, many filled with several more file folders and boxes, asymmetrical to boot.

_'Looks like Tifa's no better with Cloud than I am with Denzel,'_ Marlene mused to herself.

Moving on, she stepped into Cloud's room, only to be greeted by the sorry excuse for a bed she had _helped_ to create. Marlene's eyes narrowed as she glared like Hades at the wreckage, openly daring it to say something. When she was satisfied that it would not, Marlene headed for the last remaining room, Tifa's room, all the while muttering:

"...stupid Denzel...stupid dare..."

Marlene found herself awed in front of Tifa's bedroom door, the door cracked open just enough for one _dense-headed-Cloud-worshipping-nail-bat-swinging-stupid-dare-making-whirling-dirvish-of-a-brother_ Denzel to squeeze through.

She found it a bit odd Cloud would voluntarily be in there of all places. A sly, knowing grin crept onto Marlene's lips.

_'Him...her...alone...in bed,'_ Marlene mused.

For all of Denzel's logic she still could not see how he couldn't put the pieces together. Even that moron Reno seemed to get it! Although, his penchant for gossip unnerved Marlene, as he is the only living being on Gaia that seems to be able to give Yuffie a run for her money in that department.

"I wonder if all men are as dense as the ones I live with?," questioned Marlene to no one in particular.

Giving in to her curiosity, Marlene pressed her balled up fists together and cracked her knuckles, this beingher new habit. She made a point of performing said action whenever she and Denzel embarked on one of their _"missions"_, usually of the cookie sneaking variety. Slowly, she crept inside.

Marlene made sure to look the room once over to make sure she knew where all the potential hazards lay, of which there were few. Namely Cloud's First Tsurugi and Tifa's leather gauntlets. Marlene mentally shuddered at the possible consequences of being caught inside Tifa's sanctuary without her permission. Everything from receiving a paint-peeling lecture from Tifa to being stared into oblivion by a certain _chocobo-haired-mako-eyed-psuedo-masochist-who-was-really-one-big-softie_ Cloud.

It's a good thing Marlene remembered Aunt Yuffie's _"Nine Steps to Bad-Ass Ninjaness":_

1) Don't get caught. Ever.

2) Deny any and all accusations, false or otherwise.

3) If you've got it, flaunt it. There was nothing easier than taking materia from a hormonal pre-teen boy.

4) If possible, use a distraction to your advantage. Dangling materia from the end of a fishing pole several stories above your target was the preferred method of choice.

5) Keep a camera handy at all times. Blackmail is the ultimate ninja weapon of mass extortion.

6) If captured, flail and make as much high-pitched noise as humanly possible, especially if your captors were _chain-smoking-tea-drinking-foul-mouthed-sexist-airship-pilots_. This is apparently poisonous to their health.

7) The use of materia in battle can really pull you out of a bind. Ironically, pursuit of said materia is what usually gets you into that bind.

8) Never abort a mission. The reason being that it was highly possible an ungodly amount of materia could be at stake.

9) Don't get caught. Ever. That, and Cid Highwind is an ass.

'_Is he now?,'_ thought Marlene. _'Uncle Cid is always so nice to me.'_

However daunting the situation seemed to Marlene, she was determined to give that boy a piece - scratch that - a whole continent of her mind. She'd picked up after Denzel long enough and her vengeance would not be denied, come hell or Highwind.

"Well I can't abort the mission now," Marlene steeled herself.

Stealthily, Marlene _"ninja'ed"_ her way inside Tifa's bedroom. Still not seeing any semblance of a flower bouquet, Marlene's big heart sank somewhat.

'_Cloud didn't forget, he always keeps his promises...right?,'_ Marlene pondered.

She instead settled for the sight of Denzel, stuck in a trance at the side of Tifa's bed. Locking onto her target, Marlene carefully crept her way to Denzel's side noticing Cloud and Tifa's footwear at the foot of the bed along the way. Finally, Marlene had made it to Denzel's side, ready to unleash her fury when she noticed that Denzel appeared to be lost in thought whilst staring at something in front of him. Deciding to see what was so entrancing, Marlene turned to follow his gaze.

Lo and behold, there in Tifa's bed lay two of the planet's greatest heroes. Cloud, the stoic and introspective lone wolf who often showed little to no emotion, next to Tifa, the firm but gentle maiden who insisted on caring for everyone's needs but her own, locked in a warm embrace beneath the blankets. Check that, mostly beneath the blankets.

'_I wonder if Cloud gets cold wearing just that sweater,_' thought Marlene only now noticing the cool draft circulating in Tifa's bedroom. _'It doesn't even have any sleeves!'_

Marlene supposed hugging was the next best way for Cloud to keep warm. She couldn't really fault Tifa for needing most of the blanket since she herself often felt the need for more heat in addition to her own. Feeling the tug of her heartstrings, Marlene held onto the tender scene a moment longer ... just before she snapped Denzel out of his reverie with a sharp jab of her pointer finger into his side.

"OWW!" Denzel yelped as Marlene quickly covered his mouth with hand to stifle his painful outburst.

Tifa let out a deep yawn and stretched out as far as Cloud's embrace allowed her. Marlene and Denzel both froze with bated breath, muscles tensed and pupils dilated, ready to bolt from the room at any given second. They both, however, relaxed as Tifa settled comfortably underneath Cloud's chin.

"What was that for?!" Denzel seethed as silently as possible.

"For making me pick up after you again!" retorted Marlene.

"You nearly got us killed!" Denzel shot back, the very real prospect of seeing Final Heaven up close and personal fresh in his mind's eye.

"Wouldn't have happened if you weren't in here," replied Marlene coolly.

"We'll see who they believe was sneaking around in Tifa's bedroom while they were sleeping," jeered Denzel, a small smirk plastered to his face.

Marlene's eyes narrowed dangerously. She wouldn't be going down this road again, she would be sure of that. Besides, Cloud's bed was _sooo_ totally Denzel's fault! Marlene pondered whether using Meteodrive was worth the grounding that would follow, not to mention her looking after Denzel for close to a month. Just then, the most sinister ploy was born in her brilliant head which was evident from the amused smile creeping up on her lips.

"Even if they believe it was I in here instead of YOU," Marlene began, thrusting her pointer finger into Denzel's chest to stress her innocence. "I doubt it would be worse than if Cloud were to discover Nail-Bat reduced to a pile of wood chippings," she continued. "Especially since it was entrusted to you."

"Yeah well you can just ..." Denzel froze in mid-sentence, not bothering to close his now slacked jaw as his mind began processing the implications of Marlene's last statement.

Denzel's eyes widened. _'You wouldn't!'_ they screamed.

Marlene simply reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a relatively fresh Polaroid picture and handed it to Denzel. She then proceeded to cross her arms in front of her, raise her chin up and cocked an eyebrow.

'_Try me,'_ she boasted.

In Denzel's hand was a photo of a pile of wood chippings with shreds of what appeared to be faded white sports tape, with a few broken, rusty nails littering the floor adjacent to the pile. After examining the photo for what seemed like several minutes, Denzel handed it back to Marlene, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever.

'_Wow, even Cloud would be proud,'_ thought Marlene taking back the photo.

Slowly, Denzel made for the door, careful not to wake Cloud or Tifa. Once he made it to the hallway, the steady pace of his footsteps grew louder and louder until Denzel broke out into a full blown sprint furiously racing down the stairs towards the basement, where the wood chipper that was used to destroy wine crates and such was stored. It would only be a matter of time, Marlene figured, before Denzel realized the photo was merely a fabrication of Nail-Bat's unceremonious demise, the real deal tucked away securely beneath her bed.

'_Looks like Denzel should've paid more attention to the "Nine Steps",_' grinned Marlene, her appetite for vengeance satiated for now.

Turning her attention to her next objective, Marlene began searching for the famed Cosmo Canyon lilies Cloud had promised her. Scanning the room, Marlene found nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until her eyes settled on a vase filled with the most beautiful lilies she had ever seen, sitting on the window sill, where the sun's rays were slowly filtering in. They were absolutely out of this world! Each lily a different colour from the rest, every colour in the cosmos springing to life right before her eyes.

"They must've been sent from heaven!" exclaimed Marlene, awestruck at the lilies vibrant display. On the vase was an inscription near the base. It read:

'_Hope I got it right this time.'_

Successfully completing her mission, Marlene grabbed the vase and, once secure in her arms, strode over to Tifa's bed to take one last look at the resting childhood sweethearts. Everything just looked so perfect. Cloud might as well have changed his last name to nine, because it didn't look like Tifa was getting off anytime soon.

Marlene supposed she should wake Tifa up to open the bar but decided against that. It was only after Marlene had reflected upon her latest duel with Denzel that she realized how much it really took to look after a family. Their family.

She was amazed Tifa hadn't blown a fuse and just punched-out the entire planet. After keeping AVALANCHE together, putting your life-long best friend back together, saving the world _twice_, working the bar from sunset to sunrise each and every day, and still managing to raise two little hell-raisers, Tifa still had the patience of a saint. And the heart to match. It's just what she did: take care of everyone. Even if she did neglect herself in the process. It was only fit that it was her needs being met right now in the form of one Cloud Strife.

"Good for you Tifa," cheered Marlene.

While admiring her idol, Marlene couldn't help but feel sorry about Cloud's bed, even if its demise helped facilitate this happy moment. Taking a page out of Tifa's playbook, Marlene set down her prized Cosmo Canyon lilies on Tifa's dresser and quickly skimmed through Clouds records, if you could call them that. Coming across a transaction record for a bed Cloud placed in Kalm, Marlene sighed in slight disappointment.

"Looks like I still owe you one don't I Cloud?" whispered Marlene, who was merely answered with a sleepy groan.

Silently, Marlene clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, bowed her head, and began to pray to someone she loved and missed dearly.

She prayed that one day, she would grow up to be strong so that she could stand up against oppression and injustice.

She prayed that one day, she would have the biggest flower garden in the city of Edge and it would brighten up everyone's day.

She prayed that one day, all the orphans would have someone to come home to, just like she had Cloud and Tifa and Denzel.

She prayed that one day, the world would be happy again and Denzel wouldn't have to train so much.

She prayed that one day, she would be all Tifa had hoped she would be, the apple of her eye.

'_Says who?'_ asked a familiar voice, a joyful echo that played on Marlene's ears as a warm breeze gently crept in through a slightly open window.

Opening her eyes to see who the voice belonged to, Marlene only caught the glimpse of a single drop of dew trailing down the window.

With a sudden lightness in her shoulders, Marlene soaked in the moment for a while longer. Happy that her surrogate mother was finally getting her due, Marlene felt that it was about time Tifa reeled Cloud in, even if she had to throw him back once his new bed arrived. Revelling in the calm and silent joy that was music to her ears, Marlene softly stared at her sleeping idol. Everything a perfect woman should be. Everything a woman would want to be, gently wrapped in heaven's arms.

Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, Marlene held her hands behind her back and gently swayed to and fro, lighting the room with her bright infectious smile.

"One day Tifa ..." vowed Marlene.

"...I'm gonna be just like you..."

Like the all-knowing mother that she was, Tifa let her warm smile grace her beautiful face. Strong, gentle, and true. And as Marlene made for the stairs to tend the bar as she did back in their AVALANCHE days, Tifa's smile lingered long after Marlene had bid them adieu.

"...I Promise."


	3. Yuffie

**Author's Note:**

Chapter 3 is now up. Sorry for the wait, but this sets up some other characters so it had to be good. Reviews are much appreciated. Okay, lets mosey people!

**Special Thanks to:**

Ritsu-San for another great job of beta reading (and for putting up with my horrendous mistakes, thank you for that!).

**Disclaimer:**

The author (Pride_Of_Rukongai) does not, in any way, shape, or form, own any of the characters, elements, or concepts, in part or full, based on FFVII, FFVII:AC, ON THE WAY TO A SMILE, or any other artistic work based on FINAL FANTASY VII, which is the sole property of SQUARE-ENIX, and is borrowed on the basis of the authors wish to express his own creative opinion based on said artistic works. [i.e.: I don't own SQUAT!]

* * *

"**I Promise"**

_...Yuffie..._

"_Love is not finding someone to live with; it's finding someone whom you can't live without."_

_-English Proverb_

_

* * *

_

"I spy with my little eye..." Yuffie sang, her voice filled with her trademark exuberance and mirth. "...something blonde, brown, and oh so scandalous!"

Okay, so maybe scandalous was a bit of an overstatement. But seriously, anything involving the infamous _spiky-haired-SOLDIER-wannabe_ swordsman and the busty _I-can't-believe-they're-not-fake_ barmaid engaging in activities not related to delivering anything and everything or throwing-down in Seventh Heaven was top notch gossip material. Or blackmail material. Or both.

Oh yes, Yuffie was having a field day with the current state that two of Seventh Heaven's residents were in: all over each other! Well, close enough. And there to capture them in all their photogenic glory was none other than everyone's favourite _bad-ass-super-stealth-ninja_ Yuffie Kisaragi, perched atop a low-rise market place pavilion... twenty-three kilometers west of Seventh Heaven. What could she say**:** bad-ass, right?

It's the perfect crime. Taking unnecessarily massive quantities of incriminating photographs with the WRO's latest tool in covert recon technology, also known as Yuffie's second-best friend, at a distance from which even that _freak-of-mako-chocobo-head_ couldn't catch her.

"Serves him right!" huffed Yuffie, repositioning herself to get a better view of the blonde and brown mess of hair that adorned Tifa's pillow. "A vacation without Yuffie? I don't think so pal!"

...

It was only a few weeks before Yuffie would be mandated to take some time off from the WRO to get some rest and relaxation, something Reeve insisted was _"a vital part of maintaining the mental health of all WRO field personnel."_

Mental health her ass!

First of all, everyone she knew all thought she was crazy to begin with. Second, she wouldn't have access to the WRO's equipment while she was on leave, which really blew. And third, she wasn't really working whenever she was on recon missions. Seriously, she was a freakin' ninja. As in N-I-N-J-A! This is what she practically lived for, save maybe owning the finest collection of materia Gaia had to offer, but that was beside the point. Plus, she totally ditched the paperwork despite being the commanding officer of the espionage and intelligence division, leaving poor Vincent to sort through the mountains of paper that lay haphazardly on his desk. Vincent had berated Yuffie on several occasions for _"behavior unbecoming of a princess,"_ to which Yuffie replied by threatening to bombard the stoic pseudo-vampire with even more calls to his cell phone.

_'What's up with that word anyway, MAN-dated,'_ thought Yuffie bitterly about her impending leave of absence. _'Must be sexist!'_

Yup, Yuffie was definitely not a happy materia hunter. Not one bit. However, there was one last chance for Yuffie to have a little fun before she was temporarily exiled from the WRO. See, the engineers in research and development had recently developed a portable telephoto lens that operated on solar power instead of mako, which Yuffie affectionately referred to as the _"Ninja-Scope." _Basically, it was a top of the line telescopic high-definition camera, with a maximum range of roughly thirty kilometres that could be transported and set up on any terrain single-handedly. This endowed the Ninja-Scope with obvious military and surveillance applications.

Yuffie, on the other hand, saw the WRO's latest development as the perfect ninja weapon for mass extortion, the likes of which Gaia had never seen before! Which was perfect, since all of her former AVALANCHE cohorts had become better and better at guarding against her _"conventional"_ spying techniques, 'cause it was _sooo _normal for materia to be suspended in mid-air right in front of your face. It would also give her an edge in the gossip war against a certain _red-headed-bumbling-idiot-of-a-Turk_, who was surprisingly accurate with his rumours, especially for a moron who couldn't tell the difference between the ass-end of a chocobo and a dirty mop.

_'Damn that Reno and his loose lips!'_ reviled Yuffie. _'How does that dumbass do it?'_

All of which made for a very determined ninja princess when a request for an experienced field operative was announced by Reeve to test the latest Ninja-Scope prototype in real-time. With a steely resolve even her father Godo could not deny, Yuffie marched her spunky ass straight into Reeve's office despite his secretary's insistence that Reeve was in the middle of a board meeting with the WRO's top brass. Now normally Yuffie would file a formal application whenever test personnel were requested, but her last several applications were rejected from the short list for various _long-winded-legal-jargon-bullshit_ reasons she could not comprehend. That left Yuffie with only one option: go straight to the top to make her presence felt.

"Y..Yu...Yuffie! What a pleasant surprise!" stammered Reeve as she casually strolled into the board meeting, oblivious to the surprised stares of roughly a dozen board members.

"Of course I'm a pleasant surprise! The party hasn't even started until Yuffie arrives!" announced Yuffie as she placed her left hand on her hip and motioned her right fist, thumb upraised, to her grinning face. "Anyways Reeve, I've got something to talk to you about."

Reeve paused to clear his throat before addressing Yuffie.

"Unfortunately, Yuffie, I am quite preoccupied at the moment as you can see," Reeve motioned to the other board members, their blank stares fixed upon the young ninja heiress.

"Oh. My bad Reeve," smiled Yuffie, not sounding apologetic for her grand entrance. "But this will only take two seconds, faster than you can say Cait Sith!"

"Really Yuffie, this is neither the time nor the place..."

"Just say yes!"

Reeve gaped in mid-sentence, stupefied by Yuffie's sudden demand.

"And what, may I ask, am I supposedly agreeing to?"

"Your new Ninja-Scope prototype. You need a field-test operative. I'm the _BEST!_ So I get the job, right?"

Reeve eyed Yuffie dubiously, although Yuffie didn't know why. It was like Reeve was staring at a moogle-pom that had just grown out of her head.

"You see Yuffie, it's not that simple. There's a long list of _formal_ applicants, then a thorough interview process, background checks, references and mission records. It's a delicate process that ..."

"Look Reeve," interrupted Yuffie. "You're the head honcho of this operation, right?"

"President andCEO that I am..."

"And you could pull a few strings here and there, right?"

"Technically speaking, perhaps..."

"And what you say goes, right?"

"Hypothetically speaking, that would be correct..."

"So just say yes!"

Reeve was obviously becoming very frustrated, evident from the pulsating vein in his forehead and his profusely twitching left eye. The other board members were also beginning to lose their patience judging by the rapping of fingers on the table and the sound of shifting chairs and shuffled papers. But Yuffie would not be denied.

"We'll continue this discussion as soon as I conclude this meeting. Now if you'll excuse me Yuffie, I have more urgent matters to attend to."

"Oh no you don't!" said Yuffie, marching down one side of what seemed like an endless wooden table. "You haven't even really said anything!"

"As I was saying, ladies and gentlemen, we are all well aware of the current state..."

"Hey Reeve, we're not through yet!" flailed Yuffie, darting in and out from in between board members trying desperately to get Reeve's attention.

Reeve simply closed his eyes and continued.

"...of affairs the remaining cities are in and ..."

"What's the matter, Cait Sith got your tongue?! Answer me dammit!"

"...it is imperative that we concentrate our efforts on..."

"I know you're not deaf so what's the hold up?"

"...providing adequate food and health care..."

"Reeve?"

"...to the most heavily affected metropolitan areas first..."

"Reeve?!?"

"...then branch out into the neighboring towns and villages to..."

"REEVE!!!"

A collective gasp was heard in the room, followed by a light thud on the wooden desk right in front of Reeve. Fearing for the worst, Reeve slowly opened his eyes ... and was greeted by a face full of yellow shorts! Reeve recoiled into his chair like a cobra, a surprised yelp escaping his mouth. Yuffie proceeded to bend down so that her face was level with Reeve's, practically touching nose to nose.

"Look Reeve, You and I both know I'm not going anywhere until I land this gig," explained Yuffie. "So either you _assign_ the Ninja-Scope to me... or I'll take it for a spin anyways!"

Well aware that the tenacious Wutai warrior wouldn't take no for an answer and that she was more than capable of "borrowing" the ninja-scope if she so chose to, Reeve sighed in defeat and stared back into Yuffie's expectant gaze.

"Just return the prototype intact this time Yuffie..."

...

And so the _single-white-rose-of-Wutai_ set out to find her first victim.

_'Err... targets!'_ Yuffie mentally corrected herself, fearing what Reeve would say if he found out what she had intended to do with the Ninja-Scope. _'Yeah, targets, that's it!'_

Yuffie was juggling all the possibilities in her head when her cell phone rang unexpectedly. Ever the chatterbox, Yuffie immediately picked up the call without checking her caller ID.

"Cloud?" asked the random caller, who turned out to be Tifa.

_'Hmmm, looking for a little action from Cloud are we Tifa?'_ Yuffie thought naughtily. _'Better not keep you waiting then.'_

"Hey _busty_, miss me much?" heaved Yuffie, trying to make her voice as hot and heavy as possible.

"_Ugh_, hey Yuffie," replied Tifa, only somewhat amused at the nickname Yuffie had affectionately given her.

"What's up Tifa!" Yuffie exclaimed in reply.

"Not much. I was trying to get a hold of Cloud. He's on his way to Nanaki in Cosmo Canyon. Cid had wanted to place an order for his _you-know-whose-damn-tea_ a while ago but we were fresh out, so I wanted to remind Cloud to pick some up in Cosmo Canyon and take it to Cid in Rocket Town before he returns home."

"I see. So, Tifa, anything good come out of the rumour mill lately?"

"Maybe..." Tifa answered light-heartedly. "I've been missing more and more cookies lately, Marlene and Denzel broke Cloud's bed, Rude stopped by with a gift from Shinra Corporation, we're going on vacation..."

_'Looks like those two are getting the hang of the nine-steps,'_ beamed Yuffie, literally giving herself a pat on the back for a job well done. _'... Wait.'_

"WHAT! You're going on vacation!?!" screamed Yuffie.

"That's right. Cloud has everything planned out. I didn't think we'd get to take one so soon, but Cloud struck a pretty hefty compromise with some clients at the Shildra Inn. He's taking Marlene, Denzel, and I to Cosmo Canyon for a month."

"That sounds... _great!_" Yuffie replied, somewhat disappointed she wasn't invited. Okay, maybe really disappointed she wasn't invited. Alright, majorly bummed out that she wasn't invited.

"But you wanna know what the real show-stopper is right now?" asked Tifa.

"Thrill me!" answered Yuffie, instantly perking up to her cheery self.

"Rumour has it that while Cid was out of tea he's resorted to drinking **-**get ready for it**- ** _coffee_ at least once a day!"

"COFFEE!" yelled Yuffie in disbelief, nearly shattering the sound barrier while she was at it. "The tea baron Cid Highwind drinking coffee?! Who gave you this information! Where'd they get the intel?! Why wasn't I informed? Out with it Tifa! Who?"

"Reno," answered Tifa, her ears still ringing from Yuffie's sonic outlash.

"UGH! Reno! Reno?!?"

"Yeah, Reno. Besides, Yuffie, you know all about his infamous track record."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know," Yuffie said berating the nosy Turk. "Anything else?"

"That's all for now," said Tifa tiredly. "Say Yuffie... could you... keep an eye on Cloud for me? Nothing serious or anything like that. Just to make sure that he's taking care and all. I worry about him... not in a misguided romantic way of course! It's just that, I... well, you know... what I'm trying to say is..."

"_Uh-huh. _If you say so," answered Yuffie, rolling her eyes while Tifa rambled.

"Seriously, Yuffie. Will you check up on him if you're ever in Cosmo Canyon?"

"No problem Tifa!"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure."

"Promise?"

"You know I'm good for it Tifa."

"Yuffie..."

"Alright, alright! I promise."

...

Yuffie found it pretty damn tough keeping an eye on the nomadic Cloud Strife, especially with that mechanical beast Fenrir speeding him from town to town at breakneck speed. It's a good thing the Ninja-Scope had such great range, which allowed Yuffie to track Cloud and plot her travel route based on his current trajectory. First stop: Cosmo Canyon. Nothing really out of the ordinary here. Cloud arrives and meets Nanaki in front of the Shildra Inn exchanging gil, a vase of some gorgeous lilies, and a humongous ball of yarn.

_'Alright Red, what the hell's up with the yarn?'_ thought Yuffie.

Her interest piqued, Yuffie decided to wait around a few minutes after Cloud and Nanaki had exchanged a few words. Cloud then made his way to the observatory and emerged with an envelope a short time later, heading to the tea shop before mounting Fenrir. Once Cloud had left for Rocket Town, tea in hand, Nanaki picked up the massive ball of yarn in his mouth and walked into the Shildra Inn. Peering in through an open window with the Ninja-Scope, Yuffie caught the sight of Nanaki sitting in front of a strange contraption knitting a sweater! A sweater of all things! Not frolicking with the ball of yarn like a regular kitty-cat, albeit a very large kitty-cat...thing. What _was_ Red anyway? But seriously, a sweater! It was just too much to handle.

_'Tifa's never gonna believe this!'_ Yuffie thought to herself, snapping a few photographs of Nanaki nimbly operating the rather awkward makeshift-loom he had set up.

Next stop: Rocket Town. Luckily Yuffie knew of a rather quick shortcut, which allowed her to set up several vantage points from which to observe her unsuspecting targets. She had the perfect view of the oil refinery when she spotted Cid heading for the airship maintenance hangar just south of the refinery. Seeing as how Cloud had not arrived yet, she decided to scope-out what Cid was up to. It wasn't unusual to see the gruff airship pilot chain-smoking just inside the entrance of the hangar, which was exactly what he was doing at the moment. Yuffie felt her stomach lurch.

"Ugh, I get nauseous just looking at Cid's ugly mug!" complained Yuffie.

Just then a black sedan pulled up to the hangar, Rude emerging from the driver's side of the car. Rude silently greeted the nicotine addicted airship pilot before proceeding to hand a large manila envelope to Cid, who took a few steps into what looked like an office. The sound of sheet metal crashing onto the floor followed by a steady stream of well aged profanities that would make even the hardiest of sailors blush was heard off in the distance before Cid reappeared. As he returned with a brown parcel tucked under his left arm, Yuffie couldn't help but notice the large ceramic mug Cid held in his right hand, which was filled with a hot caramel coloured liquid that was not tea.

"Hah! Caught you red-handed Cid!" exclaimed Yuffie as she tried to focus the Ninja-Scope to get a better view. "I bet he'll shit his geriatric pants when he sees his new _'mug shot'_."

However, Rude had obstructed her view as Cid approached the _silent-but-deadly_ giant of a man.

"Stupid overgrown Turk!" shrieked Yuffie. "Get outta the way!"

Cid and Rude stopped and looked towards Yuffie's direction, hearing the faint echo of her high-pitched outburst. Yuffie, however, was a good distance away and was hidden under a leafy canopy of trees. Not finding anything out of the ordinary, Cid merely gave a shrug of his shoulders while Rude adjusted his sharp neck tie and trademark shades. After receiving the brown parcel Cid had retrieved earlier, Rude lumbered into the black sedan, driving away just as Cloud arrived. Sensing Cloud's arrival, Cid quickly threw the mug he had been holding over his shoulder into the bushes. But not before Yuffie could snap some sweet, sweet pictures of Cid taking a very generous swig of the dark liquid substituting for his precious tea.

_"Gotcha!" _beamed Yuffie. "Reno, eat your heart out!"

After several minutes of "civilized" conversation between the two blondes, which consisted of lots of head scratching from Cloud and _"manly"_ back-tapping from Cid, one of which was a little too low for Cloud's liking. In fact, Yuffie could have sworn that the slightest shade of a blush was found on Cloud's face as he walked toward the oil field northwest of the airship maintenance hangar, leaving a snickering Cid holding the package of tea Cloud had given him in his wake. Of course, Yuffie had caught several absolutely golden moments with her trusty Ninja-Scope the entire time.

Switching vantage points to get a better view of the oil field, Yuffie happened upon Barret, who was supervising several workers who were operating what looked like drilling equipment. All the while Barret was motioning wildly with his mammoth arms and barking orders at which ever hapless employee crossed his path, directing traffic to and from the dizzying network of rigging before him.

"Still an overbearing heathen, aren't 'ya Barret?" commented Yuffie.

However, as soon as Cloud makes his way to Barret he immediately switches out with who Yuffie assumed to be the interim foreman. Barret slung his massive gun-arm around Cloud's neck and proceeded to ruffle his golden spikes with the other arm, laughing his hearty laugh in greeting Cloud. To his credit, Cloud managed to maintain most of his composure, save for a slight smirk on his face as he refashioned his hair. After another several minutes of _"man talk"_, Barret gives Cloud a playful jab to the chest and Cloud heads back towards Fenrir, leaving Yuffie with only the comical photograph of himself in a headlock from Barret.

With all his deliveries done for the day Cloud set off for the Corel ferry, on which Yuffie easily snuck on board, to cross the sea towards Midgar. Judging from the abhorrently long time the ferry was taking, Yuffie assumed they were headed to Kalm on a detour instead, which wreaked havoc on her sensitive stomach. She had guessed right as Cloud parked Fenrir and walked into the Kalm furniture depot, which was reputed to have high quality goods at a decent price, as soon as they made port. Yuffie rushed off the ship grateful to be back on solid ground, but not before painting the cargo hold an unflattering shade of green.

_'Man this is boring,'_ Yuffie thought as she waited for Cloud to emerge from this little detour. _'Whatever! I'll just wait for him back in Edge.'_

...

All of which led our resident _materia-loving-gossip-spreading-ninja-princess-turned-mad-photograper_ with a bright smile that would have blinded Rude, sunglasses and all, holding in her hands her ticket to an all expenses paid trip to Cosmo Canyon with a certain pseudo-family living in Seventh Heaven. Oh yes, Yuffie had assembled quite the collection of candid photographs of every AVALANCHE member. She was sure she could start her own gossip magazine or paparazzi agency with all the dirt she had dug up. After all, it was all in a day's work testing the Ninja-Scope, which was a massive success in Yuffie's book. Most importantly though were the pictures of compromising positions one Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife found themselves in this evening, which was hell on Yuffie's patience waiting for the best photo-op to present itself.

But what really killed her, what left her wanting to scream her lungs out that very moment was the chain of events that all started the moment Cloud returned home. First Cloud parks Fenrir in the garage, tapping the handle bars as he makes his way inside Seventh Heaven. Then he walks in on Tifa putting away dishes at the bar, who promptly dropped a few as she spots Cloud appear before her, shock and surprise apparent on her face. They just stand there -that's right- stand there for the longest time, gawking at each other not knowing what to say or do. Not a _'honey, I'm home!' _or a _'hey dear, how's work?'_, just... nothing! Then they snap out of their respective stupors when they finally realize that there are broken dishes on the floor. So Cloud grabs a broom and Tifa grabs a garbage bag, and as they reach down to pick up some of the pieces they brush hands. And what do they do? Still nothing! They just stop and stare... and stare... and stare... until Yuffie thinks her eyes start to bleed because she's been waiting so damn long to photograph that one magical moment. The moment Cloud professes his undying love for Tifa and Tifa breaks out into hysterical tears of joy. But _nooo_, nothing is ever that simple with these two. It always had to be so damn complicated.

So when they get back to reality, Cloud starts scratching the back of his head while Tifa looks down at the floor and they start piling the pieces into the garbage bag one at a time. Once that's been taken care of, Tifa and Cloud start talking at the bar and Yuffie is sure that Tifa's hand gesture was to offer Cloud a drink, which Cloud declined. It's then that Tifa heads up to her room and just sits on her bed doing -that's right- nothing. Cloud in the mean time is left at the bar also doing -you guessed it- nothing. Yuffie wipes the lens of the Ninja-Scope, wondering if she's seeing this right. She focuses on Tifa. Nothing. Then on Cloud. Nothing. Back to Tifa. Nothing. Maybe Cloud. Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing, _NOTHING!_ Yuffie was about to stalk right up to Seventh Heaven's front door to knock some sense into them when she notices Cloud make a move towards the garage, emerging with a vase of lilies before heading towards Tifa's room.

_'Finally! A little action around here!'_ Yuffie thought in her exasperation.

Cloud knocks on Tifa's door, and she opens it immediately. She's thrilled by his souvenir and they converse a little before he steps in, placing the vase on a window sill and his side bag on Tifa's night stand, leaning the First Tsurugi against it. Just as Cloud turns around Tifa is there in front of him and they stare again, but this time there's now a little awkwardness. To Yuffie's surprise, Cloud places his hands just outside Tifa's shoulders, a bold move, if Yuffie ever did see Cloud make one. Both of them look expectantly at each other and just as Cloud moves his head ever so slightly forward, he stops and jerks back. Then it's Tifa's turn to make a slight move of her head forward, only to pull back as soon as she does. Then they both move simultaneously, which only confuses the other further. And on and on they go with this song and dance until Yuffie can't help but vocalize her irritation.

"Oh for crying out loud!" exclaimed Yuffie. "WILL YOU TWO JUST GET IT _ON_ ALREADY!!!"

Of course, the din of the bustling city outside is much too loud to hear Yuffie,but Tifa breaks into a gentle smile and Cloud blushes ever so slightly, casting his gaze to her bed beside them. Smiling his small shy smile, Cloud gently pulls Tifa into an embrace and tucks her into her bed, speaking what Yuffie supposed were sweet nothings until Tifa finally fell asleep. He never intended to stay there, of that Yuffie was sure, but a soundly sleeping Tifa held tightly onto the chocobo-haired hero who, too, fell into a peaceful slumber.

Knowing that she couldn't expect it to get any better, Yuffie settled for the image before her as the moment she was waiting for and proceeded to take as many pictures as she possibly could, smirking at the fact that Cloud would have to bring her along to Cosmo Canyon in order to keep the pictures from making their way to everyone.

_'Cosmo Canyon here I come!'_ Yuffie mentally cheered.

Despite the less-than-noble nature of her observations, Yuffie felt that she had borne witness to a pivotal moment in Cloud and Tifa's relationship. The moment everyone lives for, when one realizes that everything good and worthwhile is staring back at you. The moment one realizes that you don't have to be perfect to love someone, just being perfect for the ones you love is enough. The moment one realizes that life's not worth living if the one you love isn't in it. And if there ever were two people in this world who couldn't live without the other, it's Cloud and Tifa. That's a fact neither would deny, maybe the closest they would get to happily ever after.

"Honestly you two," started Yuffie as she packed up the Ninja-Scope. "You guys are just one big tease aren't you?"

Looking back, Yuffie wondered exactly what she was looking for now that Sephiroth was gone, Shinra reformed, and the WRO in political power. Wutai was free, so what was she to do with all that materia? Working for Reeve, forced or otherwise, gave her a sense of purpose but what was she really after? Would she still be that _rude-somewhat-arrogant-tomboy-of-a-ninja-heiress_, unapologetically bursting with energy and pomp? Would she become queen of Wutai one day? Would she ever stop bugging Vincent for no apparent reason other than because she could? Would she live happily ever after? Perhaps she was still looking for those answers. She was still a young flower, after all, and still had much to learn, even if she'll never admit it. Lost in her train of thought, Yuffie failed to notice the Ninja-Scope slowly slide out of its carry case, landing on a puddle off to her side.

"_Ohhhhhh!_ Reeve is gonna kill me!" flailed Yuffie, doing her best to dry off the Ninja-Scope as it whirred and sparked.

Frowning at the damp mess in her hands, Yuffie supposed that it wasn't that big of a deal. She'd just put it on the R&D tab. After all, it was still in one piece. Taking one last look at Seventh Heaven before she rode off into the sunset, Yuffie took a deep breath and made for WRO headquarters.

"One day you guys..." vowed Yuffie, taking a head start and leaping off the pavilion, bounding from roof-top to roof-top as she escaped into the evening.

"...I'll find my happily ever after..."

And as the sun set on the day, a sleepy calm enveloped all of Gaia, from Cosmo Canyon to Rocket Town to Edge. And as each member of AVALANCHE stared off into the distance, from chain-smoking airship pilots to gun-arm toting heathens to sweater-knitting cat-things, a small smile crept onto each and every one of their faces.

"...just like you..."

And as Yuffie leapt away, Tifa bowed a happy nod while Cloud's brow furrowed deeper, an uneasy sensation washing over the pit of his stomach.

"...I promise."


	4. Cid

**Author's Note:**

Chapter 4 is now up. This chapter features Cid, so don't read it if you don't like his foul mouth! Reviews are always appreciated. You know the drill, lets mosey!

**Special Thanks to:**

Ritsu-San for another top notch beta read before green lighting this chapter!

_**LANGUAGE WARNING!!!:**_ If you missed it, I'll say it again. This is Cid's chapter, so reader beware of mature language! Don't say I didn't warn you!

**Disclaimer:**

The author (Pride_Of_Rukongai) does not, in any way, shape, or form, own any of the characters, elements, or concepts, in part or full, based on FFVII, FFVII:AC, ON THE WAY TO A SMILE, or any other artistic work based on FINAL FANTASY VII, which is the sole property of SQUARE-ENIX, and is borrowed on the basis of the authors wish to express his own creative opinion based on said artistic works. [i.e.: I don't own SQUAT!]

* * *

"**I Promise"**

_...Cid..._

"_Youth is wasted on the young."_

_-English Proverb_

_

* * *

  
_

"Goddamn-no-good-spying-little-ninja-turd!" cursed Cid, teeth clenched and blood pressure skyrocketing as he whipped through the black and white photographs he had received from Yuffie via air-mail.

He couldn't believe his own damn eyes! There were all these heinous, evil, downright sinister photos of him generously chugging a big old mug o' Joe from several angles, none of which showing the faintest sign of disgust on his rugged face. It's not that he didn't like coffee. He just much preferred the taste of tea, and had worked hard to make damn sure that others knew it. Tea also helped him digest his food better, not that he was as old as that ninja-brat Yuffie made him out to be. He was only in his thirties dammit! Cid also didn't want Shera's effort to go to waste, making him the best coffee of his life while he waited for Cloud to deliver his damned tea! But anyone privy to these photographs would seriously question the hard-earned image that he had spent years cultivating.

Rocket Town, we have a problem.

There was also one other photo in particular that might be a pain in the ass, especially if Shera got a hold of it. Now Cid Highwind was no queer. No sir, not this _chain-smoking-TEA-DRINKING-foul-mouthed-macho-man-of-an-airship-pilot_. But this one photo looked like Cid was trying to grab some ass. Some _blonde-haired-blue-eyed_ ass. Some _spiky-haired-Mako-eyed-dense-as-a-sack-of-bricks-numbskull_ ass to be precise. This was not his intention at all! Cid just happened to tap Cloud's back a little lower than normal is all. Subsequent photos of a flustered Cloud and Cid laughing like a mad-man off his rocker did nothing to prove otherwise. He looked like a fuckin' pervert, that's what he looked like. A coffee drinking pervert. _Oh joy_.

And that wasn't half of the nicotine-addicted airship pilot's problems. Taped to the photographs was a crudely written letter addressed to Cid from Yuffie, naturally. It read:

'_Hey old man,_

_It's Yuffie. Glad to hear from me? You should be! Anyways, I've got a little proposition for you. Listen, you, I, and everyone else know how much you love your tea and your Shera. So if you want to make sure it stays that way, be prepared to chauffeur some of my essentials to Cosmo Canyon in a few weeks. Cloud's sure to "invite" the both of us shortly so pack your bags and be sure to show Shera some of the sights while we're there. Spy you later!_

_-Her Ninjaness, Yuffie'_

"That little shit!" seethed Cid, jamming the photographs and Yuffie's letter back into the manila envelope it came in. "Fuckin' extortionist is trying to blackmail me into bein' her personal man-servant!"

Cid slammed the envelope onto his desk in the office just inside the entrance to the airship maintenance hangar and stomped over to his favourite smoking spot just to the left of the hangar doors, lighting a fresh cigarette as he did. He closed his eyes and inhaled several breaths of his cigarette, trying to think of how on Gaia he had wound up in this mess. Not only would it throw a monkey wrench into his work retrofitting modern airships with newly discovered jet-engine technology they had dug up, it would mean that Cid's plan of taking Shera on an orbital honeymoon in space would have to wait.

"How did Yuffie get those damn shots!?" Cid griped to himself, spewing columns of smoke. He really had to cut back though, Cid didn't know how much more of Shera's belly-aching about his health he could take. "Hyperactive numbskull!"

But it was those cursed photographs that really pissed Cid off. Those photos looked pretty damn real and were taken from a close distance. At least that's what it looked like: how else could that little sneak get such accurate photographs? It didn't make any sense at all: there was no sign of materia in the area for the last several months! Mad as a hornet, Cid massaged his temples and tried to recall the events of the last couple of days when he had last had a cup of coffee or spoken to Cloud.

...

Cid was living the good life in Rocket Town with Shera and their temporary house guest Barret, working on the WRO's fleet of next generation airships while Shera and Barret worked on finding oil to produce jet-fuel and alternative energy. Now a living legend as the hot-shot airship pilot who managed to be the first hombre in space, Cid was busy mating jet-engine technology with the latest in _"contemporary"_ airship architecture –his own designs by the way- which wasn't easy for the resident space-cowboy since no one knew how the fuck those engines worked.

It was a good thing those eggheads at the WRO were focused on trying to figure out what makes those engines tick, allowing Cid to get down n' dirty in order to get those birds up in the air. Shinra was also lending a helping hand giving the WRO and Cid access to the _Shinra Applied Sciences and Engineering_ archives, which contained various blueprints and research materials on ancient tech that had been shelved when Shinra discovered Mako and its highly profitable potential. Even though Cid was still kinda peeved at Shinra for pulling the plug on the space program several years back, he needed access to the case files for Shinra #1 through Shinra #26 as well as the theoretical mechanics of ancient tech in order to reverse engineer a space craft that could take him and Shera to space using jet-fuel instead of Mako.

So there Cid was, basking in the glow of another fine afternoon. Birds were singing, bees were buzzing, and puffy clouds of smoke meandering out of his mouth. It was the perfect day. The only thing on Gaia that could possibly make Cid's day that much better would be if he was sipping on a cup of Rose tea right about now. Or green tea. Maybe some Earl Grey would be nice. Hell, even some of that funky Wutai tea might have hit the spot. But it was not to be, for Cid Highwind was reduced to drinking coffee for the last few weeks since he hadn't placed an order for his precious tea sooner, an oversight he was sorely regretting right now. Cid still remembered the eventful day he tried to place an order like it was yesterday, though in reality it had already been a few weeks.

...

"Strife Delivery Service, you name it we deliver it!"

"Hey hot stuff, what's shakin'?"

"Hey you too, Cid. Does Shera know you're calling younger women when you're supposed to be working?"

"_Easy_ Tifa! Jus' bein' friendly is all."

"You know I'm kidding Cid! What can I do for you?"

"Same old Tifa! Just gimme the usual basket of tea, same as last time."

"Oh yeah... well, about that Cid... I might have some bad news for you. See... um... how should I say this... it's about..."

"What is it? Is chocobutt still hung up on somethin' or other?"

"No Cid. Cloud's perfectly fine, it's just ..."

"Now you listen to me Tifa, listen _real_ good. That _pretty-boy-man-friend_ of yers is one thick-ass numbskull, no offence. Real piece o' work if you catch my drift. If you want to get through to that spiky head of his, best jus' kick him in the shins and tell him to get on an' haul some ass! Don't kick him too hard though, you might actually hurt the numbskull."

"No, really Cid, Cloud's okay now. What I'm trying to say is – wait, what do you mean by _'man-friend'_..."

"Once he's got that messed up melon of his screwed back onto his shoulders, tell him to strap his spiky ass onto that oversized crotch-rocket of his and get over to Rocket Town with my goddamn tea!"

"That's the problem Cid."

"I see. You know I always thought that motorcycles were bad news. Really fucks up yer junk ya know. No wonder Spike's always so down n' out . Hell, I'd be too if my junk was..."

"_CID!!!_"

"That bad huh? I'll ask Shera if she's got any _"remedies"_ to get him back to normal..."

"For the last time Cid, there is nothing _wrong_ with Cloud or his... _his_... uh... err... _there-is-nothing-wrong-with-Cloud!_ It's your tea! Sorry, but we're all out right now."

_"...Wh..Wha...WHAT!!!_"

"Ohhhh.... I'll send Cloud over as soon as we get more in stock. I'm very sorry about that Cid. See you soon!"

"Wait! Tifa? Tifa?! Dammit all !#$%^&*"

...

Cid supposed it was all his fault. His fault that he had failed to call earlier when Seventh Heaven _did_ have his tea in stock, as well as his fault for freaking Tifa out about Cloud's _"damaged goods."_ It couldn't be that bad could it? In any case, Cid was stuck with satisfying his caffeine fix with coffee since he couldn't compensate for it with more nicotine on account of his promising Shera he'd try cutting back on smoking. That was small potatoes compared to all the shit Shera had put up with from Cid over all those years of blind, misguided anger. All the more reason for Cid to hurry up and build that new space ship he was designing to take him and Shera to space for their honeymoon.

He was currently waiting for Rude to arrive with some blueprints from the Shinra archives. Rufus had arranged for one of the Turks to personally deliver a few of the blueprints to Cid in Rocket Town from time to time, and as luck would have it, the reliable Rude had been assigned to do so. Cid was on the verge of a major breakthrough, he could feel it in his middle-aged bones. A few gears here, a sprocket there, and the whole shebang might actually fly, no pun intended. There was only one piece left to the puzzle and Cid was hoping that the latest set of blueprints might the key to solving it. Right on cue, Rude pulled up to the airship maintenance hangar, in a standard issue black luxury sedan, where Cid was enjoying what he swore would be his last cigarette of the day.

" 'Bout damn time you showed up ya lousy Turk!" Cid greeted Rude, half joking and half sneering at the same time.

Rude simply nodded to the airship-pilot, the same greeting he gave Cid every time, as he stepped out of the driver's side door and made his way around the black sedan, handing a large manila envelope to Cid and settled into his at-the-ready stance once he reached the hangar doors.

Taking the envelope, Cid looked over the blueprints as his lips fidgeted with the cigarette in his mouth. His lips tended to do that whenever he was deep in thought, usually thinking about his airships and whatnot. From what he could make out from the blueprints, it looked like he was going to need a few more compressor blades and intake valves. Hot damn, it looked like this crazy idea of his just might work! Just as Rude was about to make his escape, Cid placed the blueprints back into the envelope and motioned for the silent giant to stop.

"Whoa there fella, Shera's got somethin' for ya!" Cid yelled to Rude who, after shuffling his feet and glancing from side to side, settled back into his at-the-ready stance and nodded to Cid. "Great! I'll be back in two shakes!"

Taking a few steps into the office just inside the hangar doors, Cid stomped his way to the refrigerator and opened the door... only to be greeted by a pile of sheet metal that came pouring out from the top shelf. Barely jumping out of the way, Mount Highwind blew his proverbial lid spewing streams of toxic profanities at will.

"GAWD DAMMIT SAM... !#$%^&*... I SAID PUT THAT FUCKIN' METAL SOMEWHERE COOL, !#$%^&*... NOT IN THE DAMN REFRIGERATOR... !#$%^&*... YOU TRYIN' TO GET SOMEONE KILLED...!#$%^&*... YOU DUMBASS NUMBSKULL... !#$%^&*... SHIT-FER-BRAINS IDIOT... !#$%^&*... NEARLY CUT ME IN HALF DAMMIT... !#$%^&*... I SWEAR... !#$%^&*"

Rude was so surprised by Cid's sudden verbal outburst that the normally stoic giant had his left eyebrow raised, wondering if he should investigate the cause of Cid's temper tantrum. He reasoned it wasn't necessary when Cid emerged from the hangar office with a large mug of coffee in his right hand and a brown parcel tucked under his left arm. Still silently cursing his rotten luck, Cid had calmed down considerably by the time he reached Rude.

"Sorry 'bout that," apologized Cid. "Anyways, this here package is fer you Turks. It's Shera's world famous Rocket casserole. Her way of thankin' y'all for sending us all them flowers and medicine and shit when she had the 'stigma."

Cid took a sidelong glance before handing the brown package to Rude, who accepted it with both hands as if it were the most top secret development in the WRO. Just as Rude received the package, a faint, high-pitched echo reverberated around Cid and Rude, prompting the two to look off into the distant hills from which the sound originated. When they were convinced there were only trees swaying in the distance, both men turned to face one another. Cid could have sworn Rude gave him a _"what was that"_ look, to which Cid simply shrugged his shoulders and took a swig of his coffee, putting out his cigarette as he did so.

"Dun know big guy, yer guess is as good as mine."

Satisfied with Cid's response, Rude adjusted his sharp neck tie and slick shades before giving Cid a nod and lumbering into the black sedan. As Rude drove away, Cid heard Fenrir's familiar, throaty exhaust note reverberating in the distance. Panicked, Cid began to chug his coffee as if he were in a good ol' fashioned drinking contest.

_'Shit! I can't let Cloud see me drinkin' this!'_ thought Cid as he downed the last of his coffee, quickly chucking the empty mug over his shoulder towards the bushes.

Sure enough our chocobo-haired hero appeared just as Rude rounded the corner, speeding toward Cid and the airship maintenance hangar. As Fenrir rumbled to a stop, Cid couldn't contain his pure and utter glee at the sight of his long sought after tea basket.

"_YEE-HAW!_ Sure took yer sweet-ass time moseying over to Rocket Town, didn't ya Strife!?" Cid yelled to Cloud as he dismounted Fenrir.

"Hi Cid," Cloud said meekly in greeting as he handed Cid the basket of tea he had been holding since Cosmo Canyon. "Special delivery."

"You bet yer sorry-spiky ass it is!" answered Cid as he ecstatically grabbed the basket Cloud had offered, reached into his pocket, and handed Cloud the requisite amount of Gil plus the tip.

Burying his head in the basket, Cid inhaled deeply, breathing in the sweet, sweet scent of his beloved tea.

"_Ahhhhhhh..._ Smell that Strife? That's the _shit_ right there! Go on, take a whiff!"

"That's alright Cid," Cloud said, declining Cid's offer. "I'll take your word for it."

"Suit yerself, Strife," Cid replied, placing the basket on the ground just to the left of himself before continuing with the conversation. "Make sure you thank Tifa for me."

"Hn," Cloud nodded in confirmation to Cid.

"So, how's the shins doing?" asked Cid.

Cloud merely gave him a confused look, glancing around and scratching the back of his head before answering Cid. "W...What?"

"Ya know, yer shins," Cid reiterated, reaching down and patting his own for emphasis just in case the numbskull still didn't get it. "Tifa was s'posed to kick some sense into you, tell you to get over yerself n' haul some ass. That's what happened... right Spike?"

"Uh..." was all Cloud could manage at the moment, seemingly stupefied by what Cid was saying to him. "...no."

"For the love of rocket-fuel, do I gotta do everything 'round here!" Cid spat in utter disbelief. "Guess it's up to good ol' Cid to straighten out that messed up noggin of yers."

"Actually Cid I think I should get going..." Cloud mumbled, but Cid would have none of it.

"Hold yer chocobos Cloud," Cid said as he delivered a firm, manly tap to Cloud's back. "You and I are gonna have a good ol' fashioned heart-to-heart, jus' us men."

"O...Okay..." Cloud said shakily, not knowing what to do except to scratch the back of his head.

"So, you still feel guilty 'bout the past or some shit like that?" started Cid.

Cloud shook his head to answer _"no" _without any hesitation. That was a good sign.

"You get some incurable disease or infection or somethin'?" questioned Cid.

Again, Cloud shakes his head to say _"no."_

"Hung up on that flower girl Aerith?" dared Cid, really wondering if Cloud really was.

"_NO!!!_" Cloud practically barked, sharp Mako eyes flaring back at Cid to emphasize that he indeed was not hung up on the dearly departed flower girl.

Cid raised an eyebrow and grinned slightly. It looked like he had hit a nerve.

"...no," Cloud answered much quieter this time, his eyes sombre and soft.

"...Sorry Cloud," Cid apologized, his grin faltering, hoping that he hadn't overstepped his boundaries.

"It's alright Cid," Cloud replied. "I'm fine."

"Good to hear. So what's the holdup then?" asked Cid.

"Hm?" grunted Cloud in response, clearly trying to avoid the question.

"_You_ and _Tifa_, what's the holdup?" Cid asked again, making very clear exactly what he was getting at.

"..." was the silent answer that greeted Cid.

"Okay... let's take this 'n baby steps then," encouraged Cid, give Cloud another tap on his back. "So then, what _do_ you two talk about?"

"Well," began Cloud. "Deliveries, the bar, how the kids are doing in school..."

"I ain't talkin' 'bout the news reports numbskull!" interrupted Cid. "I mean, what do you two _talk_ about?"

"...not much... I guess..." answered Cloud.

"So... you two talk about nothing?" gawked Cid.

Cloud could only look at the ground and scratch the back of his head.

"Alright, what do you two do fer fun?"

"We take the kids to and from school once in a while, we go grocery shopping once a week, we..."

"Gawd dammit Cloud, I said _FUN_ didn't I?"

"...well...uh...hmmm..."

"Don't tell me you two don't do anything fun here and there?! Scrapbooking? Tea dates? Walks through the fuckin' park? Anything?"

"...I... guess not..."

"And the two of ya still have separate rooms?"

Cloud could only stand there in silence and stare at his feet.

"So you're tellin' me that you two have separate rooms, don't talk much 'bout nothin', and don't do anything fun at all?" restated Cid. "That's gotta be the most crocked up shit I've ever heard of Strife!"

Cloud's head shot up with an irritated look in his eyes. "Well at least I'm not treating Tifa like a slave!" said Cloud, hoping that would shut Cid up.

"What ya gettin' at Cloud?! Think yer better than me or somethin' jus' 'cause yer words dun make Tifa cry at night?" retorted Cid. "You callin' me a coward?! You callin' me an asshole?! 'Cause I am!"

"W...What?!?" asked Cloud, clearly dumbfounded by Cid's response.

"You heard me numbskull! I'm an asshole, or at least I used to be," started Cid. "I treated Shera like cow shit, like chicken shit. Maybe lower than that. And yeah, it took me a long ass time to get that she was jus' tryin' to save my sorry behind when she was checkin' out them oxygen tanks on Shinra #26. Man was I pissed, and poor Shera was willin' to pay for it. Jus' took it like a champ even though she was right all along. Makes me sick jus' thinkin' 'bout what a jerk I was to her back then. But I promise you Strife, if I knew then what I know now I never woulda blamed anything on my Shera..."

Cloud just stared at Cid, taking in every word he said while Cid removed his left glove, eyeing the wedding ring he didn't deserve to wear on his finger.

"So from one clueless jackass to another," said Cid, replacing his left work glove and picking up the tea basket from off the ground. "Lemme tell ya that sayin' or doin' jack shit ain't much better than treatin' her like shit. Take it from me, I should know."

"... It's just that..." Cloud spoke softly. "... I..."

"What is it chocobutt? Think ya ain't good enough for her or somethin'?"

Cloud simply stared at Cid, eyes wide like a lost little boy.

"Think 'bout this Strife. Even _IF_ sayin' nothin' dun make Tifa cry, who says sayin' nothings gonna stop her from crying?"

Cloud's gaze hardened at Cid's hypothetical scenario. He never thought about it like that before. Maybe Cid was onto something.

"... but, I..."

"_Ugh_..." Cid sighed, half-heartedly slapping his face. He was getting too old fer this shit.

"Dammit Cloud, who do you think you are? Yer Cloud, that's who! You spanked that punk Sephiroth's ass and lived to tell 'bout it! Twice! Yer a goddamn hero, one bad-ass-son-of-a-bitch that's who you are! Ya think that dun count fer nothin'? Look at me: I'm a foul-mouthed hombre who treated Shera like horse poo! But I made it to space didn't I? _AND_ I lucked out and married Shera –lock, stock, and smokin' barrels- even after all my bullshit! So who's to say you ain't good enough fer Tifa?!"

Cloud looked to be seriously considering what Cid had just said. He seemed to be lost in thought, at war yet again with his inner psyche.

"Look Cloud," said Cid sagely. "I ain't askin' ya to marry Tifa. Jus' promise me you'll try saying somethin' to her, anything! Jus' really talk to her, ya know."

"Alright Cid," acknowledged Cloud, waking himself from his semi-comatose state.

"I promise I'll try."

"_HA!_ _HOT DAMN!_" laughed Cid giving Cloud a much, much lower celebratory back-tap than he was accustomed to. "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! See, what I tell ya Spike, told ya I'd straighten out that messed up noggin o' yers!"

"Right..." whispered Cloud, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. "Thank you Cid... for everything."

"Aw, dun mention it Cloud," deflected Cid, chuckling as he gave Cloud yet another low back-tap. "Make sure ya visit Barret 'fore you leave. I'm sure he'd wanna know how his little angel Marlene's been doin'!"

"I will," replied Cloud as he hurriedly made for the oil fields toward Barret. "Bye Cid."

"Take care ya numbskull!" waved Cid as Cloud approached Barret, snickering at Cloud's disappearing form. "I'll tell ya what, it's always the young ones wasting time!"

...

For the life of him Cid Highwind just could not figure out how Yuffie could have possibly taken those photographs without his knowing it. It seemed impossible, almost out of this world. Sighing in defeat, Cid reached for another cigarette but stopped when he remembered that he promised Shera he'd try to cut back. His clenched fist shaking momentarily, Cid instead grabbed a toothpick from one of his pockets and held onto it with his teeth, wagging the tooth pick up and down with his teeth much like he did with a cigarette.

With the prospect of getting out of bein' Yuffie's chauffeur becoming less and less likely, Cid came to terms with the fact that he had no choice but to cooperate, lest Yuffie unleash those photographs for everyone to see, or worse yet, risking Shera finding out 'bout that one photo.

'_I s'pose it ain't all that bad,'_ thought Cid. _'Shera and I can have a temporary honeymoon while we're there.'_

Calming himself down, Cid realized that the sun was setting and the first of the evening stars were beginning to peek out from behind their blanket of clouds. Filling his lungs with fresh air for once, Cid started walking over to the oil fields to check up on Barret. He wondered what Barret had said to everyone's favourite chocobo-haired hero.

Cid wondered how Cloud would fare in his quest to finally get the tumbleweed rolling with him and Tifa. Cid would have loved to see if it would go smoothly or not, though if Cid were a betting man he would probably have went with the latter considering the amount of effort it took to pry that small promise out of Cloud. Thinking back to his own predicament, Cid could only imagine how Shera would react once he finally got that blasted space ship up and running. In his mind, it was the perfect opportunity for a fresh start with him and Shera. No more bitching 'bout the past. No more self-righteous bullshit. No more chain smoking. Well, maybe a lot less chain smoking. But like all good things, that would have to wait. As for now, it was time to get ready for a short detour to Cosmo Canyon with Shera at his side, as it had always been.

Grinning from ear to hear at his basket of tea, Cid began to plot about how he was to get back at that conniving little ninja-brat Yuffie for punking him into this little detour of theirs. Maybe one of the Shera's stabilizers would _"accidentally"_ come loose during the flight. Maybe they would _"encounter"_ a little more turbulence than normal. Maybe a scenic route to Cosmo Canyon was best. Hell, maybe he would take the whole gang into orbit one day just fer shits n' giggles.

Suddenly looking forward to their surprise vacation, Cid made a pact with the heavens.

"One day Shera..." chimed Cid.

"... I'll take you over the moon..."

And as the sun set on another day, the most beautiful full moon revealed its face, flooding the oil fields of Rocket Town with a luminous glow.

"... and show you all them pretty stars..."

Knowing just how lucky of a bastard he was, Cid stopped dead in his tracks to trace over the wedding ring hidden under his glove, his rough and tumble grin spreading across his rugged face.

"... jus' like you..."

While in a land far, far away deep in the heart of Wutai, a certain mischievous ninja-princess fought back a slight bout of nausea, wondering what was wrong with her as she gathered her essentials for the trip to Cosmo Canyon.

"... I promise."


End file.
